title: Incidence of small bowel obstruction after laparoscopic and open colon resection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is responsible for more than 1 billion dollars in health care costs yearly in the United States. We sought to evaluate whether laparoscopic colorectal surgery resulted in a decreased incidence of SBO within the first year of surgical resection compared with open surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2003 to December 2008, 339 patients underwent open (open colorectal resection [OPEN]) colorectal resection and 448 patients underwent laparoscopic (laparoscopic colorectal resection [LAP]) colorectal resection. Hospital admissions up to 1 year after the initial resection identified patients admitted for the management of SBO, ileus, or nausea and vomiting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 1st year after surgery, 6 patients in the OPEN group developed SBO, and 5 patients in the LAP group developed SBO. The overall frequency of SBO for the OPEN group was 1.8% and 1.1% for the LAP group (P < .5461).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although advantages such as quicker postoperative recovery and decreased hospital stay have been attributed to laparoscopic surgery, no difference in the incidence of SBO within the 1st year of surgery was found compared with open colorectal surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ 07039, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Downing
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Klaassen
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orringer
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilder
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tarantino
authors.forename: Ronald S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002432:Cecum / Q000601:surgery; D003082:Colectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology